What Is Acrylamide, and Is It in Coffee?
Acrylamide forms from sugars and an amino acid, asparagine, during certain types of high-temperature cooking such as frying, roasting and baking, the FDA says. It is found mainly in foods made from plants, such as potato products, grain products and coffee, while boiling and steaming do not typically form it, and it forms at lower levels or not at all in dairy, meat and fish products.
The National Cancer Institute says studies in rodents have found that acrylamide exposure increases the risk for several types of cancer, but that a large number of epidemiologic studies in humans have found no consistent evidence that dietary acrylamide exposure is associated with the risk of any type of cancer. The National Toxicology Program considers acrylamide reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on animal studies, and NCI notes that humans and rodents absorb and metabolize it differently.
The FDA does not advise people to stop eating fried, roasted or baked foods. Its advice is a healthy eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains and limits saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars. For coffee, a California regulation effective October 1, 2019 states that exposures to listed cancer-causing chemicals created by and inherent in roasting coffee beans or brewing coffee do not pose a significant risk of cancer.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceThe FDA says acrylamide forms from sugars and the amino acid asparagine during certain types of high-temperature cooking, such as frying, roasting and baking. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says boiling and steaming do not typically form acrylamide, that it is found mainly in plant foods such as potato products, grain products or coffee, and that it forms at lower levels or not at all in dairy, meat and fish. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceAsked whether people should stop eating fried, roasted or baked foods, the FDA answers no, and advises a healthy eating plan consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. US FDA ↗
- StudyThe National Cancer Institute says rodent studies found acrylamide exposure increases the risk for several types of cancer, but a large number of human epidemiologic studies found no consistent evidence dietary acrylamide is associated with any type of cancer. National Cancer Institute ↗
- Government sourceNCI says the National Toxicology Program considers acrylamide reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on animal studies, while humans and rodents absorb and metabolize acrylamide differently. National Cancer Institute ↗
- Regulatory filingCalifornia regulation section 25704, effective October 1, 2019, states that exposures to listed cancer-causing chemicals created by and inherent in roasting coffee beans or brewing coffee do not pose a significant risk of cancer. California OEHHA, via web.archive.org ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.